Quds Force
|image=IRGC-Seal.svg |caption= |dates=1980–present |country=Iran |branch= Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps |type = Special operations force |role=Special operations |size=Classified (estimate: 15,000) |command_structure= |garrison= |garrison_label= |nickname= |patron= |equipment= |equipment_label= |battles=Iran–Iraq War 1982 Lebanon War Bosnian War South Lebanon conflict (1985–2000) Battle for Herat Balochistan conflict Iran–PJAK conflict Syrian Civil War 2014 Northern Iraq offensive Military intervention against ISIL * Siege of Amirli * Liberation of Jurf Al Sakhar * Battle of Baiji * Liberation of Tikrit |decorations= |battle_honours= |commander1=Brig. Gen. Esmail Ghaani |commander1_label=Commander |commander2= |commander2_label=Deputy Commander |commander3=Brig. Gen. Ahmad Sabouri |commander3_label=Coordinator Deputy Commander }} | native_name_lang = | war = | image = | caption = | active = 1979–present | ideology = Khomeinism Shia Islamism Anti-Imperialism Anti-Westernism Anti-Americanism Anti-Communism Anti-Wahabbism Anti-Zionism | position = | leaders = Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayeed Ali Khamenei | clans = | headquarters = Tehran | area = | strength = | partof = Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps | allies = State allies * * * * ** Korean People's Army ** Workers' Party of Korea * * * (Maduro government) * (until 2019) * Qatar, Turkey object US designation of IRGC as terror group egypttoday.com * * (1992-1995) * * (Supreme Political Council) * Non-state allies * * Kata'ib Hezbollah * Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba * Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada * Hamas ** Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades * * * Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine * Colectivo * Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia | opponents = State opponents * (until 2003) * * * * * (until 1991) * ** Israel Defense Forces ** ** ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * (Hadi government) * * * (after 2019) * (Guaido government) * * * * * Non-state opponents: *Blackwater * * Al-Qaeda ** Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula ** Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb * Taliban * Al-Nusra Front * Free Syrian Army * People's Mujahedin of Iran * Kingdom Assembly of Iran * Tudeh Communist Party * Kurdistan Workers' Party * Kurdistan Free Life Party * Ahvaz National Resistance * ASMLA * Jundullah * Jaish ul-Adl * Harakat Ansar Iran * Ahrar al-Sham | split = | battles = | website = | designated_as_terror_group_by = }} The Quds Force ( sepāh-e qods)In Nīrū-ye Qods, or Sepāh-e Qods ("Qods Corps"). Also transliterated as Qods, Ghods, and al-Quds. From the word al-Quds, meaning Jerusalem and Beit al-Quds. Sometimes abbreviated as IRGC-QF. is a unit in Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) specializing in unconventional warfare and military intelligence operations. Responsible for extraterritorial operations, the Quds Force supports non-state actors in many countries, including Lebanese Hezbollah, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, Yemeni Houthis, and Shia militias in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan. Analysts estimate the Quds has 10,000–20,000 members. The Quds Force reports directly to the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei.Dionisi, 7 It was commanded by Major General Qasem Soleimani until he was killed by a U.S. drone strike at Baghdad International Airport on 3 January 2020. Brigadier General Esmail Ghaani was appointed as commander of the Quds Force on the same day. History and mission The Quds Force was created during the Iran–Iraq War as a special unit from the broader IRGC forces. It has the mission of liberating Muslim land, especially al-Quds, from which it takes its name – "Jerusalem Force", in English. Both during and after the war, it provided support to the Kurds fighting Saddam Hussein. In 1982, a Quds unit was deployed to Lebanon, where it assisted in the genesis of Hezbollah. The Force also expanded its operations into neighboring Afghanistan, including assistance for Abdul Ali Mazari's Shi'a Hezbe Wahdat in the 1980s against the government of Mohammad Najibullah. It then began funding and supporting Ahmad Shah Massoud's Northern Alliance against the Taliban. However, in recent years, the Quds Force is alleged to have been helping and guiding the Taliban insurgents against the NATO-backed Karzai administration. There were also reports of the unit lending support to Bosnian Muslims fighting the Bosnian Serbs during the Yugoslav wars. Hirsh, Michael; Dehghanpisheh, Babak; Hosenball, Mark. "The New Enemy? ", Newsweek, 15 February 2007. Retrieved 17 February 2007. According to the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram, former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad helped fund the Quds Force while he was stationed at the Ramazan garrison near Iraq, during the late 1980s.Nawar, Ibrahim. "Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: Justice versus freedom ", Al Ahram Weekly, 30 June 2005. Retrieved 7 January 2006. In January 2010, according to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, the mission of the Quds Force was expanded and the Force along with Hezbollah started a new campaign of attacks targeting not only the US and Israel but also other Western bodies. In January 2020, Quds commander Major General Qasem Soleimani was killed in an airstrike on a military installation near Baghdad International Airport. Organization The force is described as "active in dozens of countries".Wright, Robin, Dreams and Shadows: the Future of the Middle East, Penguin Press, 2008, pp. 332–333. According to former U.S. Army intelligence officer David Dionisi, the Quds force is organized into eight different directorates based on geographic location: * Western countries (including the former Eastern Bloc) * Former Soviet Union * Iraq * Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India * Israel, Lebanon, and Jordan * Turkey * North Africa * Arabian peninsula According to journalist Dexter Filkins, the force's members are "divided between combatants and those who train and oversee foreign assets", and the force is divided into branches focusing on "intelligence, finance, politics, sabotage, and special operations." Members are chosen both for their skill and "allegiance to the doctrine of the Islamic Revolution".Filkins, Dexter| "The Shadow Commander "| The New Yorker, 30 September 2013. In addition, Dionisi asserts in his book American Hiroshima that the Iranian Quds Force headquarters for operations in Iraq was moved in 2004 to the Iran-Iraq border in order to better supervise activities in Iraq. The Quds Force also has a headquarters in the former compound of the U.S. Embassy, which was overrun in 1979. According to Filkins and American General Stanley A. McChrystal, it was the Quds Force that "flooded" Iraq with "explosively formed projectiles" which fire a molten copper slug able to penetrate armor, and which accounted for "nearly 20%" of American combat deaths in Iraq (i.e. hundreds of soldiers). In September 2007, a few years after the publication of American Hiroshima: The Reasons Why and a Call to Strengthen America's Democracy in July 2006, General David Petraeus reported to Congress that the Quds Force had left Iraq. Petraeus said, "The Quds Force itself, we believe, by and large, those individuals have been pulled out of the country, as have the Lebanese Hezbollah trainers that were being used to augment that activity." On 7 July 2008, journalist Seymour Hersh wrote an article in The New Yorker revealing that President Bush had signed a Presidential Finding authorizing the CIA and Joint Special Operations Command to conduct cross-border paramilitary operations from Iraq and Afghanistan into Iran. These operations would be against the Quds Force and "high-value targets". "The Finding was focused on undermining Iran's nuclear ambitions and trying to undermine the government through regime change", a person familiar with its contents said, and involved "working with opposition groups". Size The size of the Quds Force is unknown, with some experts believing that Quds Force numbers no more than 2,000 people, with 800 core operatives, and others saying that it could number anywhere from 3,000 to 50,000.Daragahi, Borzou and Spiegel, Peter. "Iran's elite and mysterious fighters", Los Angeles Times, 15 February 2007. Retrieved 15 February 2007."Experts: Iran's Quds Force Deeply Enmeshed in Iraq ", Fox News, 15 February 2007. Retrieved 15 February 2007.Shane, Scott. "Iranian Force, Focus of U.S., Still a Mystery ", New York Times, 17 February 2007. Retrieved 17 February 2007. Outside analysis While it reports directly to the Supreme Leader of Iran, there are debates over how independently Quds Force operates. Mahan Abedin, director of research at the London-based Center for the Study of Terrorism (and editor of Islamism Digest), believes the unit is not independent: "Quds Force, although it's a highly specialized department, it is subject to strict, iron-clad military discipline. It's completely controlled by the military hierarchy of the IRGC, and the IRGC is very tightly controlled by the highest levels of the administration in Iran." According to a Los Angeles Times report, in Abedin's view, "It's a very capable force—their people are extremely talented, and they tend to be the best people in the IRGC". Activities The Quds Force trains and equips foreign Islamic revolutionary groups around the Middle East. The paramilitary instruction provided by the Quds Force typically occurs in Iran or Sudan. Foreign recruits are transported from their home countries to Iran to receive training. The Quds Force sometimes plays a more direct role in the military operations of the forces it trains, including pre-attack planning and other operation-specific military advice.Dionisis, 8 Afghanistan Since 1979, Iran had supported the Shi'a Hezbe Wahdat forces against the Afghan government of Mohammad Najibullah. When Najibullah stepped down as President in 1992, Iran continued supporting Hezbe Wahdat against other Afghan militia groups. When the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 1996, Hezbe Wahdat had lost its founder and main leader, Abdul Ali Mazari, so the group joined Ahmad Shah Massoud's Northern Alliance. Iran began supporting the Northern Alliance against the Taliban, who were backed by Pakistan and the Arab world. In 1999, after several Iranian diplomats were killed by the Taliban in Mazar-e Sharif, Iran nearly got into a war with the Taliban.Karon, Tony. "TIME.com Primer: The Taliban and Afghanistan ", Time Magazine, 18 September 2001. Retrieved 16 October 2006."The Elusive Quds Force: The Iranian Special Ops unit accused of meddling in Iraq has a fierce history and powerful friends" , Newsweek, 26 February 2007. Retrieved 14 March 2007. The Quds Force reportedly fought alongside the United States and the Northern Alliance in the Battle for Herat. However, in recent years Iran is accused of helping and training the Taliban insurgents against the NATO-backed Karzai administration. Iranian-made weapons, including powerful explosive devices are often found inside Afghanistan. |General David Petraeus}} In March 2012, Najibullah Kabuli, leader of the National Participation Front (NPF) of Afghanistan, accused three senior leaders of Iran's Revolutionary Guards of plotting to assassinate him. Some members of the Afghan Parliament accuses Iran of setting up Taliban bases in several Iranian cities, and that "Iran is directly involved in fanning ethnic, linguistic and sectarian tensions in Afghanistan." There are reports about Iran's Revolutionary Guards training Afghans inside Iran to carry out terrorist attacks in Afghanistan. India Following an attack on an Israeli diplomat in India in February 2012, Delhi Police at the time contended that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps had some involvement."Cops name Iran military arm for attack on Israeli diplomat" , Times of India, 30 July 2012 This was subsequently confirmed in July 2012, after a report by the Delhi Police found evidence that members of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps had been involved in the 13 February bomb attack in the capital. United States On 11 October 2011, the Obama Administration revealed the United States Government's allegations that the Quds Force was involved with the plot to assassinate Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to the United States Adel al-Jubeir, which also entailed plans to bomb the Israeli and Saudi embassies located in Washington, D.C. Plot to kill Saudi ambassador casts light on shadowy group that reports to Iran’s leader. The Associated Press. 13 October 2011Obama Says Facts Support Accusation of Iranian Plot . The New York Times. 13 October 2011 South America It's been reported that Iran has been increasing its presence in Latin America through Venezuela. Little is known publicly what their objectives are in the region, but in 2009, Defense Secretary Robert Gates denounced Iran for meddling in "subversive activities" using Quds Forces. However, Iran claims it is merely "ensuring the survival of the regime" by propagating regional influence. Iraq The Quds Force has been described as the Iranian "unit deployed to challenge the United States presence" in Iraq following the U.S. invasion of that country, which put "165,000 American troops along Iran's western border," adding to the American troops already in Iran's eastern neighbor Afghanistan.Wright, Robin, Dreams and Shadows: the Future of the Middle East, Penguin Press, 2008, pp. 333–4 The force "operated throughout Iraq, arming, aiding, and abetting Shiite militias"—i.e., the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, Dawa, and the Mahdi Army—"all" of which "had close ties to Iran, some dating back decades" as part of their struggle against Saddam Hussein's oppressive Arab nationalist regime. In November 2006, with sectarian violence in Iraq increasing, U.S. General John Abizaid accused the Quds Force of supporting "Shi'a death squads" even while the government of Iran pledges support in stabilization."Gen. Abizaid On Stabilizing Iraq ", 60 Minutes, 26 November 2006. Retrieved 27 November 2006. Similarly, in July 2007, Major General Kevin Bergner of the U.S. Army alleged that members of the Quds Force aided in the planning of a raid on U.S. forces in the Iraqi city of Karbala in January 2007.Middle East - Iraq The New York Times, 3 July 2007 Former CIA officer Robert Baer asserts the Quds Force uses couriers for all sensitive communications.Baer, Robert. "Where's the Smoking Gun on Iran? ", Time Magazine, 13 February 2007. Retrieved 13 February 2007. 2006 detainment in Iraq On 24 December 2006, The New York Times reported that at least four Iranians were captured by American troops in Iraq in the previous few days. According to the article, the U.S. government suspected that two of them were members of Quds Force, which would be some of the first physical proof of Quds Force activity in Iraq.Glanz, James and Tavernise, Sabrina. "U.S. Is Holding Iranians Seized in Raids in Iraq ", The New York Times, 24 December 2006. Retrieved 25 December 2006. According to The Pentagon, the alleged the Quds Force members were "involved in the transfer of IED technologies from Iran to Iraq". The two men had entered Iraq legally, although they were not accredited diplomats. Iraqi officials believed that the evidence against the men was only circumstantial, but on 29 December, and under U.S. pressure, the Iraqi government ordered the men to leave Iraq. They were driven back to Iran that day.Tavernise, Sabrina and Glanz, James. "U.S. and Iraq Dispute Role of Iranians but Free Them ", New York Times, 30 December 2006. Retrieved 30 December 2006. In mid-January 2007 it was said that the two alleged Quds force officers seized by American forces were Brig. Gen. Mohsen Chizari and Col. Abu Amad Davari. According to The Washington Post. Chizari is the third highest officer of Quds Force, making him the highest-ranked Iranian to ever allegedly be held by the United States.Wright, Robin and Trejos, Nancy. "Iranians captured inside Iraq ", The Washington Post, 12 January 2007. Retrieved 13 January 2007. On 3 January 2020 a rocket attack at Baghdad airport killed General Qasem Soleimani, head of the Iranian QUDS Force. The New York Sun reported that the documents described the Quds Force as not only cooperating with Shi'a death squads, but also with fighters related to al-Qaeda and Ansar al-Sunna. It said that the Quds Force had studied the Iraq situation in a similar manner to the U.S. Iraq Study Group, and had concluded that they must increase efforts with Sunni and Shiite groups in order to counter the influence of Sunni states.Lake, Eli. "Iran's Secret Plan For Mayhem ", The New York Sun, 3 January 2007. Retrieved 3 January 2007. U.S. raid on Iranian liaison office On 11 January 2007, U.S. forces raided and detained five employees of the Iranian liaison office in Erbil, Iraq. The U.S. military said the five detainees were connected to the Quds Force.Arrested Iranians tied to group arming Iraqis: U.S. Archived copy at WebCite (30 July 2007)., Reuters 14 January 2007Iran complains to U.N. over diplomats' arrest -TV , Reuters, 20 January 2007 The operation drew protests from the regional Kurdish government while the Russian government called the detainments unacceptable. Alireza Nourizadeh, a political analyst at Voice of America, stated that their arrests were causing concern in Iranian intelligence because the five alleged officials were knowledgeable of a wide range of Quds Force and Iranian activities in Iraq.Zadeh, Ali Nouri. "US-Held Iranians Source of Major Concern for Tehran ", Asharq Alawsat, 23 January 2007. Retrieved 24 January 2007. According to American ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, one of the men in custody was Quds Force's director of operations.Hurst, Steven. "U.S. Envoy: Guard Quds Director Detained", The Guardian, 24 January 2007. Retrieved 25 January 2007. Iranian and Iraqi officials maintained that the detained men were part of a diplomatic mission in the city of Erbil, Iraq. The five Iranian detainees were still being held at a U.S. prison in Iraq as of 8 July 2007.albawaba.com middle east news information::Iran complains about detention conditions of diplomats in U.S. custody The U.S. said they were "still being interrogated" and that it had "no plans to free them while they are seen as a security risk in Iraq". Iran said that the detainees were "kidnapped diplomats" and that they were "held as hostages". On 9 July 2009, the five detainees were released from U.S. custody to Iraqi officials. Allegations of involvement in Karbala attack On 20 January 2007, a group of gunmen attacked the Karbala Provincial Joint Coordination Center in Karbala, captured four American soldiers, and subsequently killed them. The attackers passed through an Iraqi checkpoint at around 5 pm, a total of five black GMC Suburbans, similar to those driven by U.S. security and diplomatic officials. They were also wearing American military uniforms and spoke fluent English. Because of the sophistication of the attack, some analysts have suggested that only a group like the Quds Force would be able to plan and carry out such an action.Schippert, Steve. "Quds Force, Karbala and the Language of War ", Threats Watch, 29 January 2007. Retrieved 30 January 2007. Former CIA officer Robert Baer also suggested that the five Americans were killed by the Quds Force in revenge for the Americans holding five Iranians since the 11 January raid in Irbil.Baer, Bob. "Are the Iranians Out for Revenge? ", Time Magazine, 30 January 2007. Retrieved 30 January 2007. It was reported that the U.S. military is investigating whether or not the attackers were trained by Iranian officials; however, no evidence besides the sophistication of the attack has yet been presented.James Glanz and Mark Mazzetti. "Iran May Have Trained Attackers That Killed 5 American Soldiers, U.S. and Iraqis Say ", New York Times, 30 January 2007. Retrieved 31 January 2007. On 2 July 2007, the U.S. military said that information from captured Hezbollah fighter Ali Moussa Dakdouk established a link between the Quds Force and the Karbala raid. The U.S. military claims Dakdouk worked as a liaison between Quds force operatives and the Shia group that carried out the raid. According to the United States, Dakdouk said that the Shia group "could not have conducted this complex operation without the support and direction of the Quds force"."links Iran to attack in Iraq http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6260690.stm ", BBC News, 2 July 2007. Retrieved 2 July 2007. Allegations of support for Iraqi militants In June 2007, U.S. General Ray Odierno asserted that Iranian support for these Shia militia increased as the United States itself implemented the 2007 "troop surge".Pessin, Al. "US Could Begin Withdrawal if Iraqis Can Take Over from Surge, says Commander ", VOA, 22 June 2007. Retrieved 22 June 2007. Two different studies have maintained that approximately half of all foreign insurgents entering Iraq come from Saudi Arabia. In December 2009 evidence uncovered during an investigation by The Guardian newspaper and Guardian Films linked the Quds Force to the kidnappings of five Britons from a government ministry building in Baghdad in 2007. Four of the hostages, Jason Creswell, Jason Swindlehurst, Alec Maclachlan, and Alan McMenemy, were killed. Peter Moore was released on 30 December 2009. The investigation uncovered evidence that Moore, 37, a computer expert from Lincoln was targeted because he was installing a system for the Iraqi Government that would show how a vast amount of international aid was diverted to Iran's militia groups in Iraq. One of the alleged groups funded by the Quds force directly is the Righteous League, which emerged in 2006 and has stayed largely in the shadows as a proxy of the Quds Force. Shia cleric and leading figure of the Righteous League, Qais al-Khazali, was handed over by the U.S. military for release by the Iraqi government on 29 December 2009 as part of the deal that led to the release of Moore. Allegations by U.S. President Bush In a 14 February 2007 news conference U.S. President George W. Bush reiterated his claim that the Quds Force was causing unrest in Iraq, stating: I can say with certainty that the Quds force, a part of the Iranian government, has provided these sophisticated IEDs that have harmed our troops. And I'd like to repeat, I do not know whether or not the Quds Force was ordered from the top echelons of government. But my point is what's worse – them ordering it and it happening, or them not ordering it and it happening? And so we will continue to protect our troops. ... to say it claim is provoking Iran is just a wrong way to characterize the Commander-in-Chief's decision to do what is necessary to protect our soldiers in harm's way. And I will continue to do so. ... Whether Ahmadinejad ordered the Quds force to do this, I don't think we know. But we do know that they're there, and I intend to do something about it. And I've asked our commanders to do something about it. And we're going to protect our troops. ... I don't think we know who picked up the phone and said to the Quds Force, go do this, but we know it's a vital part of the Iranian government. ...What matters is, is that we're responding. The idea that somehow we're manufacturing the idea that the Iranians are providing IEDs is preposterous. ... My job is to protect our troops. And when we find devices that are in that country that are hurting our troops, we're going to do something about it, pure and simple. ... does this mean you're trying to have a pretext for war? No. It means I'm trying to protect our troops. Retrieved 14 February 2007 Mohsen Sazegara, who was a high-ranking Tehran official before turning against the government, has argued that Ahmadinejad does not control the Guards outside of Iran. "Not only the foreign ministry of Iran; even the president does not know what the Revolutionary Guards does outside of Iran. They directly report to the leader", he said, referring to Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Although Ali Khamenei is the ultimate person in charge of the Quds Force, George Bush did not mention him.Who's Behind Iran's Death Squad? ABC News, 14 February 2007 According to Richard Clarke, "Quds force reports directly to the Supreme Ayatollah, through the commander-in-chief of the revolutionary guards." Detainment of alleged bomb smuggler On 20 September 2007, the U.S. military arrested an Iranian during a raid on a hotel in Sulaimaniyah, a city in the Kurdish-controlled north. The military accused the Iranian of being a member of the elite Quds Force and smuggling powerful roadside bombs, including armor-piercing explosively formed penetrators, into Iraq. The military said intelligence reports asserted the suspect was involved in the infiltration and training of foreign fighters into Iraq as well.Military Cites Mixed Results in Baghdad On 22 September 2007, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani criticized the United States for arresting the Iranian and called for his immediate release. Talabani argued he is a civil servant who was on an official trade mission in the Kurdish Region and stated Iraqi and Kurdish regional government representatives were aware of the man's presence in the country. "I express to you our outrage for these American forces arresting this Iranian civil official visitor without informing or cooperating with the government of the Kurdistan region, which means insult and disregard for its rights", Talabani wrote in a "letter of resentment" to Ryan Crocker, U.S. ambassador to Iraq, and Gen. David Petraeus. Allegations of 2007 market attack On 24 November 2007, US military officials accused an Iranian special group of placing a bomb in a bird box that blew up at a popular animal market in central Baghdad. "The group's purpose was to make it appear Al Qaeda in Iraq was responsible for the attack", Admiral Smith said. He further emphasized there was "no evidence Iran ordered the attack". In May 2008, Iraq said it had no evidence that Iran was supporting militants on Iraqi soil. Al-Sadr spokesman Al-Ubaydi said the presence of Iranian weapons in Iraq is "quite normal," since "they are bought and sold and any party can buy them." Allegations of ties to Al-Qaeda According to reports produced by Agence France-Presse (AFP), The Jerusalem Post, and Al Arabiya, at the request of a member of the United States' House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, in 2011 Congressional counter-terrorism advisor Michael S. Smith II of Kronos Advisory, LLC produced a report on Iran's alleged ties to Al-Qaeda that was distributed to members of the Congressional Anti-Terrorism Caucus.Report highlights alleged Iran forces al-Qaeda links. AFP. 4 May 2011US congressional report: Iran offering support to al-Qaida . The Jerusalem Post. 5 May 2011Report from Congressional panel says Iran's Revolutionary Guard helps Al-Qaeda . Al Arabiya. 5 May 2011 Titled "The al-Qa'ida-Qods Force Nexus: Scratching the Surface of a Known Unknown", a redacted version of Smith's report is available online via the blog site owned by American military geostrategist and ''The Pentagon's New Map'' author Thomas P.M. Barnett. The report's Issue Summary section explains: "This report focuses on the history of Iran's relationship with al-Qa'ida, and briefly addresses potential implications of these ties. Additionally, its author provides a list of recommended action items for Members of the United States Congress, as well as a list of questions that may help Members develop a better understanding of this issue through interactions with defense and intelligence officials". A member of the Quds Force was alleged arrested with 21 other suspects in the attack on the Israeli and United States embassies on 14 March 2012 in Azerbaijan. Combat against Islamic State In 2014, Quds Force was deployed into Iraq to lead Iranian action against ISIL. Iran sent three Quds Force battalions to help the Iraqi government repel ISIL's 2014 Northern Iraq offensive. Over 40 officers participated in the Second Battle of Tikrit, including the leader of the force, Gen. Qasem Soleimani who took a leading role in the operation. Syria Iranian support}} IRGC Commander Jafari announced on 16 September 2012 that Quds Force "were present" in Syria. Coinciding with the Geneva II Conference on Syria in 2014, Iran boosted its presence in Syria with several "hundred" military specialists, including senior commanders from the Quds Force, according to Iranian sources and security experts. While recently retired senior IRGC commander told that there were at least 60 to 70 Quds force commanders on the ground in Syria at any given time.Iran boosts support to Syria , Telegraph, 21 February 2014 The primary role of these forces is to gather intelligence and manage the logistics of the battle for the Syrian Government.Iranian Strategy in Syria , Institute for the Study of War, Executive Summary + Full report, May 2013 In November 2015 the Quds Force conducted a successful rescue mission of a Russian bomber pilot who was shot down by a Turkish fighter jet. The commander of the Quds Force, Major General Qasem Soleimani, got in touch with his Russian counterparts and said that a special unit had been formed and was ready for the rescue operation. He also explained that the squad was made up of men from the Lebanese "Hezbollah" and soldiers from the Syrian Special Forces, who had undergone special training under the guidance of Iranian instructors. Apart from this fact, the Syrian soldiers were familiar with the terrain. The general assumed command of the ground operation and Russian aircraft had to carry out air cover and enable satellite surveillance. Once the location of the Russian pilot was determined via satellite through the built-in GPS device, it became clear that the pilot was located six kilometers behind the front line of the opposition forces. The Special squad that entered the territory controlled by rebels was not only able to save the Russian pilot, but also kill all of the remaining rebels there. All of the 24 fighters not only survived, but also returned to their base without injuries. In May 2018, Quds forces on the Syrian-held side of the Golan Heights allegedly fired around 20 projectiles towards Israeli army positions without causing damage or casualties. Israel responded with airstrikes against Iranian bases in Syria. At least twenty-three fighters, among them 18 foreigners, were reportedly killed in the strikes. In January 2019, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed that it had carried out strikes against Iranian military targets in Syria several hours after a rocket was intercepted over the Golan Heights. The Israeli military claimed in a statement that Quds Force positions were targeted and included a warning to the Syrian military against "attempting to harm Israeli forces or territory." Germany In January 2018, German authorities conducted raids in Baden-Württemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria and Berlin, searching homes and businesses belonging to ten alleged Iranian Quds Force members, suspected of spying on Israeli and Jewish targets. Designation as a terrorist organization The United States Department of the Treasury designated the Quds Force under Executive Order 13224 for providing material support to US-designated terrorist organizations on 25 October 2007, prohibiting transactions between the group and U.S. citizens, and freezing any assets under U.S. jurisdiction. The Government of Canada designated the Quds Force as a terrorist organization on 17 December 2012. Egypt’s nominations included the organization. On 23 October 2018, the kingdoms of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, both involved in Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen against Quds Force-backed Houthis, designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization. The designation also included former leader Qasem Soleimani.Saudi, Bahrain add Iran's IRGC to terror lists - SPA euronews.com In April 2019, the U.S. made the unprecedented decision to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a foreign military, as a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department under an immigration statute and their maximum pressure campaign.U.S. Labels Iran's Revolutionary Guard As A Foreign Terrorist Organization npr.org This designation was done over the opposition of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Department of Defense (DoD).Trump Designates Iran’s Revolutionary Guards a Foreign Terrorist Group nytimes.comWhy Trump’s Latest Move Against Iran Was Pointless—and Dangerous time.comMattis: Iran is the biggest threat to Mideast peace washingtonexaminer.com See also * Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps * May 2019 Gulf of Oman incident * June 2019 Gulf of Oman incident References ;Sources * Dionisi, David J. American Hiroshima: The Reasons Why and a Call to Strengthen America's Democracy. Trafford Publishing, 2005. Sanzini Publishing for the 2006/2007 Korean version. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1412044219 External links * U.S. Releases Nine Iranians in Iraq * How Iranian Commandos Rescued the Russian Su-24's Downed Pilot * Category:Organizations designated as terrorist by the United States Category:Organizations designated as terrorist by Canada Category:Pro-government factions of the Syrian Civil War Category:Special forces of Iran Category:Foreign relations of Iran Category:Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps military branches Category:Iranian security organisations Category:Organizations designated as terrorist in Asia Category:1980 establishments in Iran Category:Entities added to the Consolidated List by Australia Category:Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Category:Anti-ISIL factions in Iraq Category:Anti-ISIL factions in Syria